Disappointed manager Dave Frecklington admitted he got his team selection wrong as a 4-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Blyth Spartans left Gainsborough Trinity third from bottom of the National League North.

Frecklington brought in new faces during the previous week to try to lift his threadbare squad, but he failed to get the expected lift.

“First of all I got the team wrong,” he said. “It could have been 10-0 today!

“I thought bringing two or three in would give everyone a lift, but that has not worked.

“But it doesn’t matter what team you put out there — there is a way to conduct yourself on the pitch and I am still in shock after what I saw.

“Blyth were excellent, but I think me and Terry (Fleming, his assistant) could have played for Blyth today.

“There was no press, no hunger to attack the ball, no hunger to get hurt or put a foot in to where you might get hurt.

“There was no leadership on the pitch to make things happen.”

Greg Rutherford broke the deadlock when Ellis Storey missed a chance to clear in the 32nd minutes and the striker completed the scoring seven minutes from time with Trinity waiting for an offside flag.

In between, Sean Reid turned in a 58th-minute parry from keeper Henrich Ravas and quickly doubled his tally.

Frecklington, whose side picked up just one point from a Christmas and New Year double header with Boston United, added: “The disappointing thing was that we gave the ball away under no press.

“When you give the ball away so many times you are going to end up conceding.

“Certain players gave in and it was unacceptable. Team spirit was missing.”